New Year, 2009 – You say you want a resolution, well you know…

If you’re a foreigner reading this article, then I’m sure you’ve at least given a passing thought to the changes you’d like make in your life during 2009. If you’re one of the natural inhabitants of this great country that we all live in though, you might not even know what a New Years Resolution is.

Wikipedia says that a New Years Resolution is “a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous.” Every year, millions of westerners make commitments to lose 5kg of bodyfat, stop smoking, take up painting, or finally learn Chinese, among loads of other boring and/or wacky resolutions.

If you’re a student who’s planning to study overseas though, you’ve already made a commitment to drastically improving your life. Congratulations! Take my advice though: come up with a New Years Resolution of your own and you’ll better prepare yourself for amazing successes as a student, and one heck of a year in 2009.

As you while away the months before you hop on that big ol’ jetplane to Waiguo, pick an easy (or not so easy) and fun resolution, and then thank me in 2010 when you come back to visit Mom and Dad over the Winter break. If you can’t think of one on your own, feel free to steal one of my brilliant ideas below.

* Perfect your English slang by practicing with an oh-so-handsome foreign tutor.

* Spend less time playing Counterstrike and more time practicing piano.

* Travel to your best friends hometown in Yunnan Province.

* Stop smoking cigarettes. Trust me, it’s not cool.

* Tell mom how much you love her cooking every week. You’re going to miss it.

If that’s not enough inspiration to help you improve your lifestyle in 2009, well I’m going to give you a bonus. I’m coming clean. Here are my resolutions for the new year, and since I’m printing them in the newspaper, you’d better hold me to them!

* Stick to my weightlifting program and finally deadlift 400 lbs.

* Earn a score of 8 on the HSK (汉语水平考试).

* Send 25 clients to Ivy League-level universities in the USA.

* Make sure that Aulon Wine Bar in Shekou features the best young musicians in Shenzhen every month.

Friendship through conflict resolutionThe child development literature suggests the following abilities support conflict resolution and interpersonal success: understanding that nonviolence and respect are essential when managing a conflict; the ability to look at...